


Beta Reader

by vobo_uji



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Writing & Publishing, Alternative Lifestyles, Fluff, Implied Relationships, M/M, Minor Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu, beta reader!soonyoung, online writer!jihoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2019-01-16 10:56:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12341289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vobo_uji/pseuds/vobo_uji
Summary: a company + an online writer + a beta reader + two cups of coffee --- sounds good for a love story, right? Hopefully (:





	Beta Reader

**Author's Note:**

> ✘✘✘ English is not my native language. Deep apologies for inaccuracies, extreme use of tenses, grammatical & spelling errors. ✘✘✘

 

> _Carat Stories - a company who operates an online community for different kinds of written words (fan fictions, poems, short stories etc.) name it, they have it. Most of the employees are composed of writers, beta readers, copywriters, publishers and administrators._  
> 
> _Lee Jihoon, 23, creative writing graduate, can’t function without coffee, lives independently, forgets to buy groceries, but is also the well-known online writer who goes by the name, Woozi._
> 
> _Kwon Soonyoung, 24, creative writing graduate, great cook, remarkable dancer who post weekly videos online, however, he’s also a famous beta reader with Hoshi as his pseudonym._  

/// 

They both work in the same company and yes, they know each other. Well… they at least _acknowledge_ each other’s presence whenever they bump into each other in the corridor or at meetings. They’re not really friends because of one reason: they’re from different departments. Yes, that’s the only reason why they aren’t friends; nothing too big. It’s just that their paths don’t cross that much. 

But the thing is… Jihoon knows Soonyoung’s pseudonym but the latter doesn’t know his. How? _Easy_. There’s that one time when Jihoon was about to hand a hard copy of his work to the beta reader department when he came across the older’s table _(he knows it’s his because there’s a ‘Kwon’ lazily written in a piece of paper attached to the swivel chair and he’s the only Kwon in the company)_. His laptop was open and its background wasn’t really subtle when it’s the calligraphy of ‘Hoshi’ so Jihoon kind of concluded that he must be him. 

And here’s another thing… after being in the company for almost three years now, Jihoon or _Woozi’s_ works haven’t been commented by Hoshi _at all_. No matter how many he passes _every_ week, he still hasn’t received a commented version of it from _Hoshi_ and there are _only a few_ beta readers in the company, so he was wondering _how_ could that happen. You may ask why this is concerning him; well… let’s just say that he has a tiny crush _(read as he already fell in love)_ on the beta reader. No, it’s not just because of his looks _(damn why does he look hot in just sweatpants and t-shirt?)_ but it’s because Jihoon was a _big fan_ of him even before he knew he was Hoshi. 

On his free time, Jihoon was usually lurking on the Internet, trying to find inspiration. One evening, he stumbled upon a dance video of a channel called _Dancing Star_ that was owned by a boy named Kwon Soonyoung _(at that time, Soonyoung wasn’t working in the company yet)_. The very first video he watched was a dance cover of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You; he didn’t know much about dancing but _wow this boy can dance_ was the first thing that popped into his head as he finished the video. And so, he spent the night binge watching all the videos on said channel and admiring the boy named Kwon Soonyoung who left a _big impression_ on his heart with his fluid and flawless dancing _(he may or may not have been late for work the next day)_. 

Much to his surprise, _that dancer_ who he waits every week and _that hot man_ from the beta reader department is _literally_ one person. _(Jihoon thanked all the deities for he doesn’t have to suffer falling for two different guys.)_  

/// 

Jihoon’s personal mission ever since he found out that _amazing_ information is to have his work beta read by Hoshi. He’s been receiving compliments from his manager for always managing to finish three to four works _within_ a week. He’s been sending his works to the BR department for _almost_ every day now, yet when it comes back to him, he still gets disappointed because it’s _still not_ from the person he _wanted_. 

So with a determined look, he walked towards the cubicle of his best friend, Mingyu, also an online writer. 

“Gyu-ah. Let’s have coffee!” he cheerfully said as he tugged on Mingyu’s sleeve. 

The latter was taken aback by the sudden cheerfulness of his best friend so he worriedly asked, “Did I do something wrong, Ji?” 

Jihoon rolls his eyes. “Nope, I just wanted to have coffee with you.” 

Mingyu held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, fine. It’s just unusual for you to be cheerful. Anyway, let’s go.” 

Once they were at a café down the street, Jihoon volunteered to pay for their orders. Who’s gonna say no to that? Definitely not Mingyu as he happily searched for a vacant table; he found one near the window so he waited for the other by staring at the passing cars. The sound of a chair creaking made him look in front of him; Jihoon was casually sipping on his cup so Mingyu did the same. After a few sip here and there, the latter asked suspiciously. 

“So… what do _you_ need from me?” 

Jihoon gapes at him. “What? Can’t _I_ treat my best friend?” 

Mingyu arched an eyebrow. “Knowing you? Of course not, you only treat your best friend aka _me_ , whenever you need something from me. So spill.” 

The former sighed. “Okay fine. Your boyfriend works at the beta reader department right?” 

“Yup, he’s the one who assigns our works to whoever is available, I think. Why?” the latter responded thoughtfully. 

Jihoon played with the spoon on his cup, stirring the coffee with no general direction. “Well… can you ask Wonwoo to assign a _certain_ short story of mine to Hoshi?” 

“ _Hoshi?_ As in the famous beta reader, Hoshi?” Mingyu asks dumbfounded, the other nodded. “But _why?_ ” 

Now it’s Jihoon’s time to raise an eyebrow. “What? Am I _not allowed_ to have my work beta read by him?” 

Mingyu shook his head. “No, of course not. It’s just that… it’s _too_ random.” he paused, “Though let me just say that his comments on my works definitely helps me to improve them.” 

Jihoon rolls his eyes once again. “ _Duh!_ He wouldn’t be famous if his comments don’t help the writers to improve. _Anyway_ , so can you help me?”                                                                                                   

The other thought for a moment making Jihoon annoyed because it only meant one thing. “Fine! I’ll pay for your lunch for a week!” 

Mingyu childishly grins at him. “ _Now_ we’re talking! Sure, Ji! Let’s ask Wonwoo tomorrow since it’s our day off.” 

///

The very next day, Jihoon was waiting for the couple to arrive at the same café. He didn’t have to wait too long as two guys linked by the hand sat in front of him. 

“Hi, Jihoon!” Wonwoo greeted him while his best friend just waved at him. “Mingyu said that you wanted to ask me something?” 

Jihoon smiles at him. “Hello, Won. Yes, I actually want to ask you a favor.” he sheepishly said. 

The other encouragingly smiled at him. “What is it?” 

“Can you assign this _certain_ short story of mine to Hoshi?” he utters, face determined. 

Wonwoo was stunned for a moment before his calm demeanor came back. “Uhm… may I ask why? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to though.” 

Jihoon looks around the café, obviously trying to avoid looking at his best friend who already had an eyebrow arched. “Aside from the fact that in my almost three years of working in the same company as him, he _still hadn’t_ commented on _any_ of my works.” Wonwoo subtly smirks at that. 

“Well, uhm… I may or may not… have a tiny crush on him.” the last sentence was uttered as lowly as possible but with the quietness of the café, the couple still heard him. 

“What!? And you didn’t tell _me?_ I thought I am _your best friend?_ ” Mingyu dramatically exclaims. Wonwoo grins at him as if he won the lottery. _That’s weird._  

Jihoon’s ears are now red so he pulled on the hood of his jacket over his head. “It’s just a _tiny_ crush, Mingyu. Don’t exaggerate.” 

The other scoffed at him. “A _tiny_ crush? Jokes on you Ji. You haven’t had _any_ crush ever since I’ve known you and that’s _basically_ our _entire_ lives.” 

Jihoon couldn’t help it anymore so he reached over the table and continuously slaps Mingyu with his long sleeves. Wonwoo was having fun watching the two when he remembered something. “Uhhh… Jihoon?” 

Said person stopped reaching over and went to properly sit again. “Sorry, Won. Your boyfriend is _so annoying_.” 

Wonwoo chuckled at that. “No, it’s not that. And trust me, I _know_.” Mingyu just made a face; _whipped, Kim Mingyu is definitely whipped for Jeon Wonwoo._

Jihoon playfully stuck his tongue out at Mingyu in which the latter childishly returned. Before they can start another banter, Wonwoo interjected. “So as I was saying... Jihoon there’s this _tiny_ information you have to know.” 

The latter looks at him confusedly. “What is it?” 

“Well, you see… my work is to basically assign them, yes. _However_ , the beta readers also have a choice _of what_ stories they would like to work on.” Jihoon was about to frown when Wonwoo raised his forefinger. “But! They can _only_ base it on the summary so I guess… you _just have to_ make your summary interesting.” 

Jihoon’s determined face was back and with a glint in his eyes, he asked without missing a beat. “What interests Hoshi?” he pulls out his phone and opens his notes, still looking at Wonwoo seriously. “Tell me _everything_ you know so I can make my summary interesting _for him_.” 

Wonwoo and Mingyu laugh at his willingness that made Jihoon arched an eyebrow. “Alright alright. So he usually gets interested in…” 

And they spent the afternoon talking about Hoshi’s interests; later that night, Jihoon was determined to have an all-nighter just to make his summary _perfect_. 

/// 

Monday came; the usual day where they get to be assigned to the works they needed to do within the week. Soonyoung was casually waiting for Wonwoo to call him when a folder was literally shoved in his face. 

Then came Wonwoo’s deep voice. “This one’s for you, Kwon. You _can’t_ disagree.” 

Soonyoung held the folder. “What? Can’t I choose what works I want? I wanted to work on some poems this week.” 

Wonwoo shook his head. “Nope. For this week, you’ll be working on that short story.” 

The beta reader whines, “But Wonwooooo! I’m _your cousin_ , don’t I get _extra_ privileges?” 

The other scoffs, “You _always_ get them, Soonyoung and you’ve been _abusing_ them. Also, don’t you want to check the summary, first? I read it and it’s quite your taste.” 

Soonyoung huffed before opening the folder and reading the summary. His eyes are wide once he finished. “Woah. This is _amazing_.” 

Wonwoo smirks. “See? Now work on that as soon as you can.” he was about to turn around when his cousin held his wrist; he raised an eyebrow. 

“But Nonu… this is from _Woozi_.” Soonyoung whispers while looking at Wonwoo as if saying something through his eyes that he couldn’t say out loud. 

“And so? _Come on_ , Soonyoung. It’s _time_ for you to _finally_ beta read one of his works.” Wonwoo teasingly replied. 

Soonyoung closed his eyes for a moment. “Fine.” 

Wonwoo smiles triumphantly then he turned around to pull his phone and texting his boyfriend. _“Tell Jihoon to get ready”_

/// 

As Soonyoung starts reading it, he got enticed by each word that he forgot to leave comments; the story was heart-warming and the unnamed character felt familiar so he kept on reading until he reached the last page, where it made his eyes widen in surprise and for his heart to beat fast. 

> So basically, the short story is Jihoon’s way of confessing to him. The ending was:
> 
> “ _I know you are wondering what is the guy’s name and you might have a clue on who it is. So let me just get straight to the point... yes, it’s YOU. And by you, I mean you, Kwon Soonyoung who’s also known as Hoshi. I’ve fallen for you for quite some time now but don’t worry, we can take things as slow as you want it to be. For now, turn around._ ” 

Soonyoung did and there he saw Jihoon, in his usual jeans and large hoodie _(making him cuter)_ , holding two cups of coffee, one in each hand. 

“Coffee?” Jihoon offered with a shy smile as he looks around except him. 

Soonyoung couldn’t help but smirk at the other’s actions. “Look at me in the eyes first.” he said with a serious voice but a cheeky grin was visible on his face. 

Jihoon hesitated for a moment but did what he was told; a hand holding out and the smile he had learned to love greeted him. He gave the coffee to Soonyoung and the other placed it on his table then held out his hands again; Jihoon was confused but gave the other coffee as well. Soonyoung did the same thing and reached out again; now Jihoon was seriously perplexed. 

“You want more coffee? Wait, I’ll just get another.” he was about to walk away when a hand held his own that made him freeze. 

He looks back and Soonyoung started pulling him; he couldn’t do anything because the moment he looked into those slanted eyes, he knew he lost. Jihoon only came to his sense once he realized that he was sitting on the older’s lap with his strong arms around his waist. 

“Wh-what are yo-you do-doing?” Jihoon nervously asked; aside from the fact that they are still in the office, it’s his first time experiencing such situation so he didn’t really know what to do. 

“Cuddling” was Soonyoung’s casual answer. Jihoon arched an eyebrow. “Cudd--ling?” 

The other nodded his head. “Yup. Anyway, do you want to hear my side of the story?” Soonyoung excitedly asked and Jihoon couldn’t help but to _just_ nod because _who can_ say no to this beautiful human being in front of him? (Jihoon is _definitely not whipped_ , nope. He dares to differ, _excuse you_.) 

Soonyoung took a deep breath before letting out _that smile_. “The reason that I’m here is that of Woozi. I’ve always admired his work that’s why I chose to work here, to get _closer_ to him, to _know_ him. But of course, fate is not with me since there’s a rule here of being incognito even _within_ the company. However, I still kind of felt closer to him since we’re in the same office meaning _he’s just around here somewhere_.” he paused then he looked like he remembered a good memory by the way his smile turned wider. 

“And then guess what? I was in the cafeteria for lunch when I saw a cute pink-haired guy at the corner, sleeping peacefully. I don’t know what got into me but I walked over and sat there quietly. I was just watching him sleep and _just like that_ , I started to _always_ look for him around the building. Then one gloomy afternoon, the rain was pouring hard and I was looking at the window when my eyes caught a glimpse of _him_. He was by the coffee machine, I stared at him and he stared back, then...” Soonyoung paused again; he looked into Jihoon’s eyes with the warmest smile before continuing. 

“And then… _he smiled_. Believe me or not, but at _that moment_ , I felt the world _stopped_. The rain was gone and the sun was shining brightly at him. It’s light making a halo effect on top of his head, causing him to look like an angel. _Indeed, he was_. Right then, I _knew_ , I fell _hard_.” Soonyoung caressed the other’s cheek that’s currently sporting a deep blush; he smirked before he went on. 

“You might hate me after this but… I don’t really choose Woozi’s works because I don’t want to read it _just because_ it’s my work to do so but because _I am_ a fan and _I love_ reading them.” he took another deep breath. “I’ve loved _Woozi_ from afar and I’ve loved the _pink-haired male_ from afar as well. _Now_ knowing that they are just _one_ person, I do think there’s _no need_ to take things slow. If that is okay with you, of course.” 

Soonyoung looks at Jihoon as if he’s the most precious thing in the world; he looks at him just like how every person wanted to be looked at. And Jihoon just smiled, _that smile_ the other fell for, as he was inching closer and just before their lips met, he whispered. 

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking your time to read this ღ
> 
> Kudos and comments (+ criticisms) are very much appreciated ｡ ◕‿◕｡
> 
> ✘✘✘ Edited and re-edited all by myself. Please kindly excuse all errors and inaccuracies. ✘✘✘


End file.
